Referral to CAMHS experience

[Mumkins42]

It would be helpful to have personal experiences ref referall to CAMHS within the last year or so. My little one is 9 and has behaviour which reminds me very much of ADHD. More recently, following significant environmental challenges my child has faced, plus lockdown, the anger and upset he feels alongside mood swings are quite intense. More recently, there are issues with anxiety and a few occasions saying he wishes he was dead. He is struggling massively with lockdown and not being able to be around friends etc. He's highly sociable.
I'm hesitant to go to my g p and down the CAMHS route. I recognise that something has to be done and my options are limited. I have been looking at private psychology options. I am a lone parent and cannot afford this yet my child's father may be in a position to fund this to some extent.
Can I ask of parents experiences with CAHMS. Can I ask if experience where your child is saying they don't want to live and you inform your GP of this? I believe strongly that the significant traumas and the current environmental stressors he faces are a massive contributory factor. I also feel there is an underlying condition of either ADHD, anxiety disorder. What I need is a diagnosis, from a competent, caring professional, I also need ongoing therapeutic support for my child in some form. I imagine there are hundreds in this position, desparate for help right now and am very hesitant to expose my child to more problems if we are waiting up to or over a year and get nowhere, yet this stays on his medical record forever.

I'm guessing that referrals etc, would all stay on record. Do you think that Ds's mood many improve a little once he's back at school? Could you ask school if there was a place for him after half term as he is struggling at home?

Ds's autism diagnosis came from a community Paediatrician, via a school referral. Could that be an option for you for an ADHD diagnosis, rather than going the Camhs route? Have you talked to the Senco about your concerns regarding ADHD and behaviour? I would definitely do that as a starting point.

I pushed for a Camhs referral for Ds at the start of last year because he has mental health difficulties alongside his ASD. His first referral was rejected because he was autistic, so they refused to see him. I asked for him to be referred again about 7 months later as by then we had tried counselling at school and nothing had improved.

The second time Ds was assessed by Camhs quickly and was seen within one month of referral. It seemed that they were going to help and we were told Ds would be seen fortnightly and that he would be able to access CBT therapy etc. We were also told that he would be seen long term and supported until he was 18.

At the moment thought, the fortnightly visits aren't happening and CBT therapy seems a very long way off. I'm told that they are too busy to see Ds and that there are staff shortages etc. So sometimes even when your child is on the Camhs caseload, the support is still not great. I know many parents feel they have no choice but to go down the private route to get ongoing therapeutic support.

We have been referred three times, twice by Gp (refused) and once by school in January as DC saying they couldn't cope and wanted to take their own life (is similar age to your DC). No response on that one yet.